Don't Make These Messenger Inquirer Obituaries Mistakes

Losing a loved one is an emotionally exhausting experience, and navigating administrative tasks while grieving can feel overwhelming. When honoring a relative in Owensboro and the surrounding Daviess County area, turning to the local newspaper of record is a long-standing tradition. However, if you are tasked with composing and placing a tribute, don’t make these Messenger Inquirer obituaries mistakes that lead to unnecessary stress, blown budgets, or missed print editions.

The Messenger-Inquirer has served western Kentucky since the 19th century. Because daily newspapers operate under strict editorial, legal, and mechanical deadlines, submitting an obituary requires precision. Below are the most common pitfalls families face and actionable guidance on how to avoid them.

1. Missing Print Submission Deadlines

One of the most frequent and heart-wrenching errors is failing to submit an obituary before the daily cutoff. Missing a deadline can delay the announcement of visitation or service times until after they have already occurred.

For daily newspapers like the Messenger-Inquirer, print deadlines typically occur early in the day prior to publication—often between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM on weekdays, with even earlier cutoffs for weekend editions. If you are scheduling services on short notice, assuming you can submit text the evening before publication will almost certainly result in a missed run.

• The Solution: Confirm the publication schedule immediately with the funeral director or the newspaper's obituary desk. Always account for proofing and payment approval windows, which must occur before the final production lock.

2. Don't Make These Messenger Inquirer Obituaries Mistakes with Submission

Families often assume they can simply email text directly to an editor and see it appear in print the following morning. Unfortunately, independent submissions without verification cause significant delays.

Failing to Coordinate Through the Funeral Home

Newspapers require verification of death to prevent fraudulent, malicious, or erroneous notices. The fastest, most seamless way to place an obituary in the Messenger-Inquirer is through the licensed funeral home handling arrangements (such as Glenn Funeral Home, James H. Davis Funeral Home, or McFarland Funeral Home). These directors have direct portals and established billing accounts with Paxton Media Group, ensuring your notice bypasses verification bottlenecks.

Forgetting Verification on Private Submissions

If you are handling the submission privately—common when a loved one dies out of state, donates their body to science, or opts for direct cremation without a local chapel—you must provide proof of death. The newspaper will typically require:

• A certified copy of the death certificate, or
• Written verification from the medical examiner, crematory, or out-of-town mortuary.

Failing to prepare this documentation ahead of time will stall publication regardless of your deadlines.

3. Overlooking Word Counts and Surging Costs

Many people do not realize that extended obituaries are classified as paid advertisements. While brief vital statistic notices may carry minimal fees or be printed free depending on editorial policy, comprehensive narrative obituaries are charged based on word count, lines, and photo inclusion.

Writing a sweeping, multi-page life history without checking the rate card can result in an unexpected invoice totaling hundreds of dollars. Common oversights include:

• Runaway text: Listing extensive paragraphs about distant relatives, exhaustive job histories, or long lists of pallbearers increases line count quickly.
• Multiple photo charges: Submitting multiple photographs (e.g., a current portrait and a vintage military picture) usually incurs separate digital processing charges.
• Multi-day insertions: Running the notice across multiple consecutive days multiplies the base rate.

Ask the obituary clerk or funeral director for a formatted character quote before authorizing print. Edit thoughtfully: prioritize immediate family survivors, service locations, and charitable memorial designations.

4. Over-Sharing Sensitive Personal Security Details

In the desire to provide a complete biographical sketch, families often publish data points that put the deceased’s estate—and surviving relatives—at risk of identity theft and home burglary.

Avoid publishing the following sensitive information in the newspaper:

• The deceased's exact date of birth: Identity thieves routinely scour local obituary pages. Combining a full birth date with a maiden name and city of residence provides sufficient data to compromise financial records or file fraudulent tax returns. Consider listing age rather than the full birth date.
• The mother’s maiden name: This remains one of the most widely used security questions for banks and credit cards.
• The family's home address: Never state the physical address of the deceased or close surviving relatives. Burglars monitor published service times, knowing exactly when a family home will sit unoccupied during a visitation or funeral Mass.

5. Typos in Critical Logistics

Editorial teams do not fact-check your family tree, church address, or dates. Whatever text you submit is generally what appears in print. Simple oversights can cause widespread confusion among attendees:

• Venue confusion: Owensboro has several churches and community halls with similar names. Double-check that you distinguish between, for instance, St. Stephen Cathedral and Sts. Joseph and Paul Catholic Church.
• Spelling of names: Inadvertently omitting a grandchild, stepchild, or son-in-law creates lasting hurt feelings. Print the draft out on paper and have at least two independent family members read through the survivor lists before submission.
• Time zone / Day of week mismatches: Ensure the day of the week matches the calendar date (e.g., confirming whether the service is on "Friday, October 12" or "Saturday, October 12").

6. Archival Search Mistakes

If your goal is genealogical research rather than placing a new notice, searching for historical obituaries in Owensboro presents its own set of pitfalls.

Relying solely on the newspaper's current website will yield incomplete results, as standard website search engines rarely host complete text dating back multiple decades. Instead, use these resources:

1. Daviess County Public Library (DCPL): The DCPL Kentucky Room in downtown Owensboro houses extensive microfilm records and digitized local indexes specifically cross-referencing *Messenger-Inquirer* obituaries.
2. NewsBank and Historical Archives: Many university and public libraries provide remote access to searchable archives using a library card.
3. Spelling Variations: Historical records often contain phonetic spelling errors made by past typists. Search by the date of death and location rather than strict surname matching if your initial search comes up empty.

A Quick Checklist Before Final Authorization

Before you give final approval to the funeral director or the Messenger-Inquirer staff, run through this five-point review:

1. Are the date, start time, and exact facility name for services 100% correct?
2. Have all children, siblings, and grandchildren been accounted for with correct spellings?
3. Have you omitted sensitive data (exact birth date, maiden names, private addresses)?
4. Have you received a firm, written total cost based on length and photo selections?
5. Has the obituary been proofread by someone not emotionally overwhelmed by the loss?

Taking an extra fifteen minutes to double-check these details ensures your tribute serves as a fitting, permanent record of your loved one's legacy without causing unnecessary logistical headaches.

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